BB30 question

[Kronos]

6 of one half a dozen of the other, my Trek SLR weighs about 8.5-9kg. It's made out of a comparable alloy type as your Merida. It feels nice but it wont make you significantly faster more training will make you faster. You will have to get significantly faster before you notice the weight savings. The right groupset that suits you as a rider will make you faster, not because its lighter, but because it will have the right gearing. You will have to decide what that is to suit you as a rider. There is nothing wrong with 105 components by any means, the industry simply continues to move on. You will gain more weight saving and perhaps more easily upgradable crank/cassette options with a newer groupset however which was one of the reasons I chose a bike in the price bracket I was looking for (read: cheap lightweight alloy bike at $300) with a groupset I could easily upgrade (Ultegra that can easily be upgraded to 6800 or DI2). Not everyone has the same intentions though.